Do you think electric underfloor heating is right for your home?

Take a few minutes and have a read on to find out how it works and what other costs you need to take into consideration.

Underfloor heating keep floors and rooms warm – offering a space-saving alternative to radiators. It can be installed beneath pretty much any type of floor surface. These including stone, wood, tile and carpet.

There are two main types of underfloor heating: water underfloor heating, also called a wet system and electric underfloor heating, which is also known as a dry system.

A survey carried out asking underfloor heating owners about the type of underfloor heating they have in their homes, the most popular a whopping 69% said they have electric underfloor heating and 26% have water those of you good at maths the remainder have both. In this article we will look at how an electric system works.

So how does electric underfloor heating work?

An electric underfloor heating system is either a series of electric wires or electric heating mats. These are installed beneath or within your flooring. They are used to heat an area or a room, for example a cold tiled conservatory floor. The majority of people had electric underfloor heating installed in only one room, most commonly in their bathroom or kitchen. Normally the heating elements are placed on top of a layer of screed. This ensures the surface is completely flat. A layer of floor insulation ensures the heat travels upwards rather than down.

Can I find a system for my floor?

There is an electric underfloor heating system for virtually every flooring type. The electric heating system you install will depend on the size of the room. How well insulated the room is, what the flooring below the heating is like. As in whether it is insulated and the type of floor covering you’ll have on top. There are several options of heating, these include loose-fit wiring flexible enough to fit into small or awkward spaces – like a bathroom, or heating mats you roll out which cover larger areas.

Installing electric underfloor heating

The majority of people choose to employ a professional company or a local trader to install underfloor heating. Here we would recommend speaking to us first. So we can recommend what system to install and how to prepare the floor. But if you are a competent DIYer, you could feasibly install the electric heating sheets or cables yourself. A good tip here is not to fit your floor covering until the system has been powered up and tested.

Once you have laid out your heating you’ll need a qualified electrician to connect your heating system to your electric mains supply and fit a floor probe that connects to the thermostat (if you are using the floor temperature as a switch that is). The floor probe allows you to control the temperature and pre-set the system to turn on or off. The majority (over 80%) of the people we supply electric underfloor heating got a company, builder or supplier to install it.

So what are electric underfloor heating costs?

Our prices for roll-out underfloor heating mats start from around £98 for a kit. We always advise everyone to factor in the cost of insulation board, screed and heating controls. In addition an electrician’s charges. Due to the fact electric systems are quite thin (3 mm diameter) and simple to fit. They are easier and less hassle to install in an existing room than a wet heating system. These require some space for pipe work and could involve the floor being raised or dug out. Electric underfloor heating is cheaper to install than a wet system. (and as mentioned earlier you can even do it yourself) But it is less efficient.